2011 St. Louis Blues NHL Draft Picks
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft is completed, and all seven rounds are in the books. Before we look ahead to free agency in the National Hockey League, let’s take a look at a team by team synopsis of all of this year’s draft picks. Find out who they are, what to expect from them, and when you can expect to see them putting on a sweater in the NHL. Also, each team will be graded on their overall performance during the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Let’s find out who the St. Louis Blues drafted, after the jump.
Bryan Vickroy
Here are the eight players selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Ty Rattie (Rd 2, 32nd overall)
| RW | CAN | 5′ 11″ | 165 | WHL | Portland |
Great skater who can fly up the ice and create offensive opportunities. Great stickhandler who can see everything on the ice and make the right play. Natural goal scorer who finds ways to get to the puck and put it in the back of the net. Must grow and/or add size and strength to become an elite NHL scorer.
Estimated Arrival: 2013-14
Dmitrij Jaskin (Rd 2, 42nd overall)
| RW | RUS | 6′ 2″ | 196 | CZREP | Slavia |
Big, skilled winger who can control the puck in open space and along the boards. Good at crashing the net, and has a very quick shot release. Must improve his skating to make the translation to the NHL, but has the instincts and skill to overcome poor form.
Estimated Arrival: 2013-14
Joel Edmundson (Rd 2, 46th overall)
| D | CAN | 6′ 5″ | 190 | WHL | Moose Jaw |
Big, hulking defenseman who throws his body around, both taking the body and clearing the front of his own crease. Despite his size, shows a very good passing ability, and can unleash a wickedly hard shot from the blue line. Not afraid to drop the gloves and get into a fight to change momentum or show his dominence.
Estimated Arrival: 2013-14
Jordan Binnington (Rd 3, 88th overall)
| G | CAN | 6′ 2″ | 158 | OHL | Owen Sound |
Named Most Outstanding Goalie at this year’s Memorial Cup. Very sound positionally, and has solid butterfly technique. Strong glove that can snag pucks even when down in the butterfly. Can have trouble going side to side, but can stop most shots by cutting down angles and controlling rebounds.
Estimated Arrival: 2014-15
Yannick Veilleux (Rd 4, 102nd overall)
| LW | CAN | 6′ 2″ | 190 | QMJHL | Shawinigan |
Big, quick forward who’s game has improved with added responsibility and playing time. Key contributor on the power play, has the ability to control play in the offensive zone, putting the puck where he wants it, whether a teammates stick or the back of the net.
Expected Arrival: 2013-14
Niklas Lundstrom (Rd 5, 132nd overall)
| G | SWE | 6′ 2″ | 187 | SWE-JR. | Aik Jr. |
Big goalie who has seen some time playing against the men in Sweden’s top league. Struggled at times against older competition, but is still young enough to dominate in U-18 tournaments. Will be allowed to develop in Sweden until he is ready to make his way to the States.
Estimated Arrival: 2015-16
Ryan Tesink (Rd 6, 162nd overall)
| C | CAN | 6′ 0″ | 153 | QMJHL | Saint John |
Grind line player with defensive responsibilities for Memorial Cup Champion Saint John. Has the ability to score and be a playmaker, but controlled his style for the better of the team. On the ice more often than not when a goal is scored. Needs to bulk up to be an effective checker in the NHL.
Estimated Arrival: 2015-16
Teemu Eronen (Rd 7, 192nd overall)
| D | FIN | 5′ 11″ | 180 | FINLAND | Jokerit |
Good skater who can move the puck and provide an offensive punch. Good quaterback on the power play, with a shot to put the puck in the net from the blue line. Not very physical, and must either add strength or grit to make it in North America.
Estimated Arrival: 2014-15
Synopsis
While the Blues did most of their roster remaking at the trade deadline, they used the draft to take a group of players who could become the next core of the Blues’ future. Without a pick on day one of the draft, St. Louis had a bunch of picks very early Saturday, many of which have already played at the highest level in junior hockey. If the Blues show the patience and willingness to groom these picks for a couple years, this draft class will become a large portion of the St. Louis roster in a few years. A premium was definitely put on adding talented offensive weapons to the mix, and the Blues added organizational depth, and possibly a couple goal scoring forwards, a clear premium at the NHL level.
Grade: B
Bryan Vickroy has an addiction to hockey, and is willing to partake in all its forms. He is skating extra shifts for The Sports Bank, covering the Minnesota Wild, the NHL, and NCAA hockey all year long. Look for new articles throughout the week. He can be followed on Twitter at @bryanvickroy. If you’d prefer to speak in more than 140 characters at a time to him, he can be reached at bryan.vickroy@gmail.com .